Early Canal Transportation: The Boats of the Middlesex Canal

EARLY CANAL
TRANSPORTATION:
THE BOATS OF THE
MIDDLESEX CANAL

An Exhibit by Thomas Joy
and Gretchen Sanders Joy

PATRICK J. MOGAN

CULTURAL CENTER

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UNIVERSITY OF LOWELL
CENTER FOR LOWELL HISTORY

March 11 through April 30,1991
Monday through Friday
9:00 a.m. through 5:00 p.m.

40 FRENCH STREET, LOWELL, MASSACHUSETTS

THE CANAL

On June 22,1793, the General Court of Massa¬
chusetts granted a charter to the Proprietors of the
Middlesex Canal. This new corporation was to be
responsible for the construction and operation of a canal
that would link the Merrimack River with Boston
Harbor, improving transportation to the state's capital.

Trade was hindered in the city of Boston because no
major river flowed into its port and the raw materials
needed to fuel its economy were difficult to obtain. The
few roads which did exist were in poor condition, making
travel slow and costly. In addition, work had begun on a
canal which would by-pass the Merrimack River’s
Pawtucket Falls. This was to be called the Pawtucket
Canal and would allow boats to pass unhindered to
Newburyport, potentially creating unwelcomed
competition with Bostons markets.

Not only did Boston need to be supplied with raw
materials from inland New England, but it also needed a
domestic market for the goods it produced. For 50 years
the Middlesex Canal met these needs by providing the
safe and economical transport of goods and passengers
from the Charlestown Mill Pond to the Merrimack River.

The Middlesex Canal was an engineering marvel and
its construction was an arduous task First, England's
William Weston was hired to survey the route of the
canal, an event which was marked by the first use of an
accurate leveling instrument in this country.

Next came the acquisition of land. A total of 142 parcels
were acquired by gift, purchase, and the power of
eminent domain. Prices for the parcels ranged from $25
to $150 per acre.

At the time of construction, the available labor pool was
small. The area was thinly settled and most people were
farmers, unable to leave their lands for extended periods
of time. In many cases, landowners were hired to
complete the section of canal that ran adjacent to their
property. The average pay for common laborers was $8
per month. The cost of construction was close to $500,000
and was funded by the sale of stock and assessments
levied on shareholders. The capital stock was divided
into 1000 shares, 200 shares of which were retained
while 800 shares were sold in 1793 for two dollars each.

The route of the canal transversed many types of
terrain. Rock ledges had to be cut and low lying areas
filled. More than half of the canal was built above the
natural surface of the land. Despite the many difficulties
encountered, the canal was completed within the ten
year time frame put forth in the legislation.

The canal ran for 27 miles from Middlesex Village (a
part of Chelmsford at the time and later, Lowell) to
Charlestown. It was 30 and one half feet wide at the top
and 20 feet wide at the bottom. The bottom and sides
were covered in clay which had been tamped to a two
foot thickness. The water depth was three feet and
the depth of the banks was four and one half feet. A

ten foot tow path ran along the west bank and a five foot
berm on the east.

The main source of water in the canal was the Concord
River. A dam crossed the river in Billerica, creating a mill
pond which stored the water that fed the canal.

Another engineering first was the floating towpath,
developed to allow the canal to cross this large water
body. The water in the canal flowed from the pond six
miles in a northwesterly direction to the Merrimack River,
dropping 27 feet through three locks on its journey. To
the southeast, the canal flowed 22 miles and dropped 100
feet through 13 locks to the Charlestown Mill Pond at
the Charles River. The canal was made up of eight
different levels ranging from one to six miles in length.

In order that the canal would not be subject to
flooding, care was taken that water from rivers and
streams never mixed with canal water. Eight aqueducts
were constructed to carry the canal over other bodies of
water. The most impressive of these was the 35 foot
Shawnsheen River Aqueduct in East Billerica, the ruins
of which can still be seen today.

A branch canal was constructed in Boston so that
boats, after crossing the Charles River, could travel all
the way to the harbor. At the opposite end of the
Middlesex Canal, locks were constructed along the
Merrimack River, creating a totally navigable route
between Boston, Massachusetts and Concord, New
Hampshire by 1814.

Luggage boat entering a lock chamber

THE BOATS

The first mention of a boat in the Middlesex Canal
Corporation records was in Superintendent Laommi
Baldwin's 1795 report to the Proprietors,

"A flat bottom boat of about 9 feet in width & 35 feet
in height has been framed & the stuff drying & is
nearly ready to pin up and finish off.”

The first boats on the canal were small and heavy,
designed to carry the lumber and stone needed for the
canal's construction. Later, boats were crafted to carry
freight and passengers. The authorized dimensions of
boats were spelled out in the Middlesex Canal Corpor¬
ation's regulations. They were to be at least 40 feet in
length, but not more than 75 feet long in order that they

fit into lock chambers. Most boats were of the greater
length. They could be no more than 9 and one half feet
in width to allow boats to pass each other in the canal.

Three types of boats were used on the Middlesex
Canal: rafts, packet boats, and scows. The scows, also
called luggage boats, carried freight such as furs,
produce and coal from inland areas to Boston Harbor.
They also carried store-bought goods back to New
England residents. In 1886, General George Stark
described the scows as "peculiarly constructed... and
their mode of propulsion was as peculiar as their model."
Designed to meet the unique requirements of canal
navigation, they were flat-bottomed, with parallel sides
and square ends. Due to silting, water in the canal was
seldom more than three feet deep. The construction of
the scows allowed them to carry loads of up to 20 tons
while drawing only two feet of water.

A scow was towed by a single horse, its line attached
to a small mast located a little forward of the center of the
boat. In the canal, the boat was usually handled by two
men; a driver for the horse and a steersman, who used a
large sweep oar at the stern of the boat as a rudder.
When traveling down the river, a crew of three was
needed. A man stood on each side of the boat, facing the
bow, and manned the scull oars. The third man was in
the stem with the steering oar. In favorable weather, a
sail could be hoisted on a large mast that replaced the
smaller mast to which the tow line had been attached.

When moving up river, two men stood facing the
stem holding long poles that were tipped with iron.
These were planted at an angle in thebed of the river.
With their shoulders pressed against the pole, the men
walked forward about six feet, pushing the boat
through the water. They then turned, walked back to
the bow, and repeated the process. The third man again
steered from the stem.

Lumber, much of which supplied the Charlestown
Navy Yard and the shipbuilding yards on the Mystic
River, was floated down the canal on rafts. While
individual rafts, also called "shots," could be no more
than 75 feet in length, they could be joined together to
form "bands". These bands could reach up to 500 feet
in length and were unpinned when passing through
the locks. Rafts were towed by a yoke of oxen. One
yoke could draw 100 tons of lumber, a load that would
have required 80 teams over land.

Packet boats, which were towed by two horses,
carried passengers. These boats were typically painted
with bright colors. The George Washington had a red
wale above a white waterline strip. The hull was painted
black. The quarter railing was a bright red, the posts
light blue, and the interior was orange. The cabin was
large and comfortable, with upholstered seats. At
one time two packet boats - the George Washington and
the Governor Sullivan, both owned by the Middlesex
Canal Corporation - operated on the canal, one leaving

Luggage boat sailing down the Merrimack River

from each terminal every morning. Later, only one
packet was maintained. Journeys on the canal were a
popular summer pastime. Passengers often sat on the
top of the packet boats in order that they might sightsee
and the tow path was a favorite place for Sunday
afternoon strolls.

Corporate records show that between April 1,1805,
and January 1,1806, the Middlesex Canal transported
9,405 tons of goods at a cost of $13,371. It was estimated
that land transportation would have taken 9,405 teams at
a cost of $53,484. The granite used in building Quincy
Market and many other Boston buildings was carried
down the canal, as was the lumber used to repair "Old
Ironsides” during the War of 1812.

There is not much known about the boats of the
Middlesex Canal or about how many boats traveled on it
at any one time. The boats were both the property of the
Middlesex Canal Corporation and private parties. A
person wishing to transport freight, but having no boat,
could rent one from the company's fleet of seven
luggage boats.

CANAL OPERATIONS

On April 4,1830, John Langdon Sullivan, agent of the
Middlesex Canal Corporation, published a pamphlet
entitled "Regulations Relative to the Navigation of the
Middlesex Canal." This document contained a great list
of rules concerning travel in the canal, including speed
limits. Packet boats were to travel no faster than four
miles per hour, while scows could travel at two and a half
MPH and rafts at one and a half MPH. The speed limits,
along with many other of the regulations, were put into
effect to prevent damage to the canal's banks.

The regulations spelled out the procedures by which
boats could pass one another in the canal. Packet boats
could pass scows, which, in turn, could pass rafts. Repair
boats had priority over all others. Boats traveling from
either terminus to the summit at the Concord River had
the right of way over boats moving away from the
summit. Boats of the same type traveling in the same
direction were not allowed to pass each other in order to
discourage racing. The regulations made it clear that this
was to apply to boats operated by the Proprietors as well
as others.

Boat operators were not allowed to pass themselves
through locks. Only the lock keeper could do this. To
protect the canal walls, voyages after dark were
prohibited. Dark was determined to be 7:00 p.m. during
the spring and fall, 9:00 p.m. during the summer, and
10:00 p.m. on moonlight nights. Sunday operation was
permitted in deference to the distance that many
travelers were from their homes, but the whistles usual¬
ly blown to alert the lockkeepers were silent on this day.

All boats were to bear the name of its owner and be
numbered ’from 1 to the greatest number owned by
the same person.” Upon entering the canal, passports
were assigned to each vessel. This passport had to be
presented to the keeper at each lock for his signature.
When a boat reached its destination, the passport was
presented to the Collector of Tolls. The Massachusetts
legislature set tolls at 1 /16 per dollar - or 6 1 / 4 cents - per
ton per mile. The corporation could place a lien on
merchandise for tolls owed and could collect wharfage for
goods not promptly removed from the landing. There
were eight landings along the canal and goods could
only be loaded and unloaded from boats at these points
to prevent damage to canal banks. Lumber was an
exception to this rule.

THE DECLINE OF THE CANAL

During the years 1803 to 1807, the canal was plagued by
financial difficulties. The banks of the canal were in
constant need of costly repairs. During times of extensive
damage, no tolls could be collected.

The income of the canal waned during the war of
1812, when business was slowed due to the embargo.
Shareholders were charged 100 assessments over the
years to construct and maintain the canal. Business
improved in the years following the war, and in 1819 the
first dividends were paid to shareholders. The years
between 1819 and 1836 were good ones for the canal.

Toll receipts, and dividends, steadily increased during
these years. The Middlesex Canal Corporation profited
by the growth of Lowell. Bricks, lime, and slate used in
the construction of Lowell s first factories and houses
were transported on the canal, as was coal. Eight million
bricks were produced in Bedford in a single year.
Luggage boats carried lumber to fire the kilns and
returned with finished products. The mill owners,
however, contributed to the downfall of the canal by
working in favor of the construction of the Boston and
Lowell Railroad. The canal only carried goods and
passengers to Middlesex Village. Other transport to town
then needed to be arranged. The railroad would be a
more convenient mode of transportation to the mills.

The Canal Corporation petitioned the legislature
against the railroad, but to no avail. Ironically, the
canal contributed to its own demise when it carried the
steam engine Stephenson from Boston to Lowell to be

assembled. It also carried ties to be used on the rails.

The railroad s chief engineer was the son of the canal's
first superintendent, Laommi Baldwin.

The Boston and Lowell Railroad was the beginning of
the end for the canal. Canal boats could operate only
eight months out of the year and could not maintain
strict timetables. The railroad, by contrast, could operate
year round and was more dependable, as well as faster.
The Stephenson made its trial run from Lowell to Boston
in one hour and 20 minutes.

The year that the Boston and Lowell Railroad went
into operation, canal receipts dropped by one-third.

When the Lowell and Nashua line was opened, business
declined by another third. With the completion of the
Concord and Nashua line in 1842, the railroad paralled
the entire waterway route from Boston to Concord. The
Middlesex Canal Corporation struggled on for several
more years, but toll receipts dwindled and in 1852, the
last boat passed through the canal. Canal Agent Caleb
Eddy’s 1843 plan to convert the canal into a drinking
water supply for the city of Boston failed, and the
corporation's charter was extinguished by the
Massachusetts Supreme Court in 1859.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Andy Chamberlain
Martha Mayo

Lowell Historic Preservation Commission

The records of the Middlesex Canal Corporation

are housed at the University of Lowell Center for Lowell

History.

The quilt on display, made by Gretchen Sanders Joy, is of
the "Storm-at-Sea" pattern with a Mariners' Compass.

THE PATRICK J. MOGAN
CULTURAL CENTER

The mission of the Patrick J. Mogan Cultural Center is
to "tell the human story found in the history of the
United States as an industrial nation, especially by
concentrating on the lives of the working people of
Lowell, Massachusetts."

The Center, which opened in 1989, is named in
honor of Lowell's former Superintendent of Schools
who developed the concept of an urban park
focused on Lowell's unique heritage.

This former boardinghouse which housed Boott
Mill employees from about 1837 was rehabilitated by
the Lowell Historic Preservation Commission, an
agency of the U. S. Department of the Interior. It is
an appropriate setting for the Lowell National
Historical Park's interpretive exhibits on the theme of
the Working People: Mill Girls, Immigrants, and
Labor. The Center also houses the University of
Lowell Center for Lowell History, and the
University's Downtown Center for Continuing
Education which offers year-round classes. A wide
variety of cultural programs is also offered
throughout the year at the Center.

UNIVERSITY OF LOWELL
CENTER FOR LOWELL HISTORY

The University of Lowell Center for Lowell History
was established to promote and assure the
safekeeping, preservation, study and research of
items in unique subject areas, particularly those
related to the Merrimack Valley and the University of
Lowell. Call (508) 458-4451 for more information.

TEMPORARY EXHIBITS

Any organization, group, or individual interested
in developing an exhibit at the Patrick J. Mogan
Cultural Center on its themes, should contact the
Lowell Historic Preservation Commission at 222
Merrimack Street, Suite 310, Lowell, MA 01852,
(508) 458-7653. A member of the Community
Exhibits Committee will then contact you and, if
approved, will recommend your proposal to the
Mogan Community Advisory Board.